The Lion and the Champion
by Katheryne B
Summary: Tyrion Lannister's life hangs in the balance as no one volunteered to be his champion for his trial. Yet, someone came forth that no one, even the Gods didn't expect. And what of the Lord commander of the Kingsguard, you was forced to stand on the side and watch...
1. Chapter 1

Brienne inhaled and exhaled slowly as the squire finished clasping her armor around her back. Lord Tyrion had been adamant that she would receive the aid of a real squire, his squire, before the fight.

As if she ever needed a squire , it was a nice gesture. The lad was named Podrick.

 _How did it come to this?_ she asked herself

 _If I'm walking to my death let it be clean one._

The squire had finished his work. She was ready. Any minute now, a man from the court you come and escort her to the arena. As Brienne gave herself a last look in the looking glass, she let her mind wonder back to the events that led her here, today…

She remembered every detail of it.

* * *

 **A few days ago**

Brienne had walked in on Jaime, sparring alone with a mannequin, the sort one would use when learning to fight. It was a strange sight to see Jaime alone because he usually sparred with her in order to train his left hand.

He had tried at first with Lord Tyrion's sellsword friend, a man named Bronn, but Jaime didn't like him. But Brienne didn't mind. She owed it to him. No one knew that Brienne felt very responsible for what had happened to Jaime; the cutting of his hand had been a direct consequence on him saving her from being raped.

She approached their training ground near the sea; already she could hear the sound of the sword hitting the dummy and Jaime's grunts and loud breathing.

"You should have told me you wanted to train." She said loudly, but Jaime didn't stop what he was doing, nor did he answer her.

"Jaime is something wrong?" she asked again

It still felt strange to call him by his first name. When there were among other people Brienne was always so formal and polite, but Jaime had insisted she call him by his name when they were alone…just like at Harrenhal he had said.

"Jaime!" she said again "JAIME!" This time she was shouting.

Brienne moved quickly towards the mannequin and stood behind it, facing Jaime in order for him to finally answer her.

"My brother is going to die the day after tomorrow." he said in a solemn voice, before hitting the mannequin again."No one wants to be his champion, not even his sellsword acolyte. Bloody ingrate." He added " I can't do it because of my hand, my sister wants my brother dead, my father wants him dead, Oberyn Martell wants the Lannister family dead, the whole bloody world wants every fucking Lannister dead…"

A blow on the training mannequin had followed every one of Jaime's sentences. Brienne had to admit that he was starting to be better with his left hand but it didn't take a seasoned knight to know that it would never be the same. Jaime was still beating at the mannequin, trying to go harder and faster every time.

"Stop, stop!" said Brienne "Please. It won't change anything."

Now, Brienne was holding the dummy with both her hands and she was staring deeply at Jaime. He finally stopped, dropping the sword on the ground, panting. He gave her a quick look.

"I don't care." He said "I don't care and I'll do it anyway."

"Jaime you can't mean that…" she started

"Yes I do. I'll be my brother's champion because it is right and if I die trying, then so be it." Said Jaime as he picked up the sword on the ground and put in away. He also took a water skin that was next to it and took a good long drink…Brienne wondered if it was really water in there. He didn't sound like his usual self.

"You know how the sellsword came to my brother service?"

Brienne simply nodded in rejection.

"He volunteered to be his champion at the Eerie when Lisa Arryn and Catelyn Stark trialed him. He named me his champion at first, but Lisa Arryn decided it needed to be immediate so…Bronn volunteered. I won't miss this chance again." He said "In fact, I'll go see him right now to tell him the news." Said Jaime " Then I'll go to my father…No, that's a bad idea. I won't go to my father; it will be a surprise, a surprise for them all, and the fight of the century. Ser Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer fighting Ser Gregor Clegane, the Mountain that rides. What a great song it will make!" Jaime didn't look back at her for an instant and started up the stairs to leave.

"Wait!" she said as Jaime was walking away

It didn't take long for Brienne to think of a solution. Actually, she had been thinking about it for some time now.

"Wait…" she said again "What about me?"

Jaime turned around slowly in his footsteps, looking at her from afar. His expression had suddenly changed too. Was it fear? Was it anger? Was it relief? As if he somehow knew what she was going to say.

"I'll be Tyrion's champion, I'll fight the Mountain."

"Brienne," said Jaime, coming back down the stairs to stand in front of her. "Brienne no, I can't ask that of you. Besides, it should be me."

"You are not asking me anything, I'm volunteering which is what a champion does."

"I can't let you do that." He said

"And you can't fight the Mountain, you'll lose!"

Silence suddenly filled the air.

Brienne hated herself for having said that out loud. But Jaime couldn't be that blind, could he? He couldn't be that ignorant of the outcome of this fight? Or, maybe revenge and guilt were clouding his judgement…Either way she couldn't stand on this side and let him forfeit his life just like that. He had been through so much. They had been through so much together.

"Please let me fight him…Let me kill him"

"Brienne…" he answered back, softly, his voice breaking a little

"I can do it." She said, "You know I can."

Jaime's silence meant everything to Brienne because she knew he would keep arguing with her if he didn't believe her.

'I trust you with my life Brienne, you know that." Jaime said

"But…"she added

"But you don't know what you are getting yourself into. You won't come out of this alive. The Mountain, he's…ruthless, he almost killed Loras Tyrell at the tourney for Ned Stark. If Sandor Clegane hadn't intervened..."

"I've beaten Loras Tyrell. I can do it. " Said Brienne "I want to do it"

By then, Jaime realized there was nothing more to be said.

"I'm not doing it for your brother." Said Brienne

And those were the last words she said to him on that day, before leaving their training grounds.

* * *

 **So, this is a tryout chapter...This idea has been in my head for some time and I've finally decided to give a go. Hope you've enjoyed. And if you did and want to read more, please follow the story or review it. It'll keep me going :)**

 **Cath**


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Jaime paid a visit to his brother Tyrion in the dungeons, in order to give him the news.

" _I'm not doing it for your brother."_ Brienne's words kept haunting Jaime every moment of everyday since she said them.

The fight was planned for tomorrow. Jaime was happy to have found someone to defend Tyrion, even thought it wasn't him and he hadn't really found anybody. He also followed his gut feeling and didn't tell anyone that Tyrion had now a champion for his trial; fearing his father or sister might attempt something.

"A woman?" said Tyrion in astonishment; almost choking on the wine he was drinking after hearing the news. "The one you told me about? The one who served in Renly's Kingsguard and brought you back to King's Landing?"

"The very same" answered Jaime.

"Well…" said Tyrion "I didn't see that one coming. Of course, I'm grateful but I still can't believe Bronn would betray me like this"

"You're too trusting dear brother. He's a sellsword"

"He was my friend," said Tyrion

"He made you believe he was." Said Jaime "He was after your money and you know it."

Silence filled the cell, as both brothers did nothing more than drink wine from the skin Jaime had smuggled in.

"So," said Tyrion "So, you've seen her fight; do I have a chance to keep my head?"

Jaime hesitated before answering. He remembered the first time he saw her, how he made fun of her for carrying two swords and for being tall, manly and… Gods, what a fool he was back then.

Yet, Jaime would always remember the way she push him away when the Stark men recognized him; how she fought the urge to kill the men immediately for making fun her. Smart and noble Brienne, always calm and righteous and strong…

She killed the first two in the blink of an eye with him standing on the side, shocked by what he had just witnessed. The woman fought like a true knight, as if she was born with a sword in her hand. And then, without mercy, she gutted the last one.

" _I don't fight for the Starks,"_ she had told him then. And it was the truth

Jaime wondered for whom she was fighting now.

Then they fought together; actually it was more him who was fighting her than them fighting together. Nothing like when she started sparing with him near the sea.

" _You're good,"_ he said to her, _"Graceless, but good"_

"Jaime?" said Tyrion, thus breaking his reverie "Jaime...Are you still there?"

"What? "Spat Jaime "Sorry, I was elsewhere."

"I can see that. So, any thoughts?"

"She's a brilliant fighter. She's strong and fierce and I trust her with my life…but"

"But she's fighting the Mountain." Said Tyrion

Jaime simply nodded.

"I fear I've lead her to her death"

 _Or worst, that she's doing it only to repay me for saving her from being raped,_ he thought to himself.

"Well, we'll have to wait and see then." Said Tyrion "I'm very grateful for what you've done for me."

"Nonsense, I'm your brother." Said Jaime

" I would have done you know. If it wasn't for this…" Jaime added whilst showing off his stump.

"I know and I'm grateful anyways."

A moment of silence filled the room.

"Father might forbid it you know. Once the word gets around about who my champion is, not a knight and secondly, a woman."

Jaime didn't answer. He knew Tyrion was right. The minute their father learnt the identity of his brother's champion he would put an end to it immediately.

"You know what this means Jaime, right?" asked Tyrion "It's a wonder she accepted this venture. I don't even know her."

"She didn't accept anything. She volunteered. And what exactly do you mean brother?"

"Well, she's certainly not fighting for me, that's for sure."

" _I'm not doing it for your brother."_

" _I'm not doing it for your brother."_

Gods, Jaime wished the words would stop ringing in his head.

"Brienne is not like that."

"Are you sure?"

 _Yes._ Jaime thought to himself.

 _Then again, No, no I'm not._

With that, Jaime stood up, took a last sip a wine before throwing the skin back to his brother.

"We won't tell anyone who's your champion." Said Jaime "We'll invent a name so she can keep her identity secret. Then, father won't be able to do anything."

"The look on his face will be worth everything" said Tyrion

"I must go, I have things to prepare for tomorrow." Said Jaime

He then knelt to his brother level.

"I will see you tomorrow little brother." He said "I will see you tomorrow alive."

* * *

 **I hope some of you out there still enjoy this story. I would love your feedback**

 **Cath**


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